Side Characters in a Nutshell

gossip in the palace

Cleo, or as everyone jokingly called him The Invisible, was a servant in the beautifully decorated palace. The walls were made of marble, the food was good even for lowly servants like him, and the pay was acceptable.

Except. Well.

There was a reason he was called The Invisible. Most of the time, people wouldn't even notice him, despite him standing three feet away. Adding to that, his face was recognizable only because it was so unmemorable that many wouldn't even know what color his hair was if asked.

Most of the time, it was a great skill. 

A lot of times, it wasn't.

Two newly appointed concubines fought with each other relentlessly, granting on Cleo's ears. Sadly, that wasn't a novelty to him. In the five years he spent at the palace, the king welcomed ten concubines to his harem. And while the women praised the king's stamina and passion out in the world, he knew that they screamed in frustration behind closed doors.

Their shared goal, of course, was to get pregnant. Consort Lily was appointed as such ten years ago after the coronation of the king. They were childhood friends, and the new course of events was of no surprise to anyone, since they firmly believed that the two were in love and sang about it on every corner of the capital city. They had one son named Tobias, a bright eight-year-old child, but after that there were no other children. The consort died of sickness soon after giving birth to her son and everyone weeped, because she was a kind soul. The king was sad after her death, but eventually got over it for the sake of his son.

After that, the place of the consort was empty. Every concubine in the harem hoped to get pregnant and get the privilege the title brought with it, but it never happened.

Cleo snorted in amusement, listening to them banter. It was a known fact that the king had someone in his rooms every night, but no one knew who it was. 

Who was the person that has so wickedly echanted their beloved king?

***

"He finally invited me for a tea after I wrote almost twenty letters, and do you know what he did?!" Concubine Jenette despaired to her maid, swaying her hands in outrage. Cleo was tasked to dust the counters in the halls, and the pair just so happened to pass by him. Concubine even looked around to see if anyone was listening, and Cleo once again suppressed a snort when she obviously deemed him unworthy and perhaps deaf or mute. 

Now that I think about it, maybe they really think so, he pondered, replaying the five years he spent here. He only ever talked to cooks and merchants if he was going to the city for some necessities. One time he spent a month not uttering a word. Huh.

"What did he do, miss?" The maid asked, her voice eager for new gossip that she was sure to pass around later.

The concubine lovered her voice conspirationally, but that obviously didn't work since Cleo heard her loud and clear fifteen feet away. "He was writing love poems!"

Cleo raised his brows as the maiden faked her surprise. "Really? For whom?"

"I don't know is the thing! This is how it goes! As the morning seeps through the window, and sun kisses your beloved skin, green eyes open, and a smile graces your angelic face. I don't remember any concubine among us having green eyes!"

The maid furrowed her brows in real confusion. "I do not know, miss. Maybe he doesn't have anyone and only writes poems to pass the time?"

Cleo was, of course, sceptical.

***

Today, Cleo was in the Crown Prince Tobias's chambers for the first time ever, dutifully dusting the floor. He was permanently moved here, and it made him sigh in relief. The prince was a nice child, not too messy, and of course, he was now further away from others. It felt like a vacation, really.

Right now, prince had his classes with his tutor, a young man, perhaps 20, named Timothy. His skin was fair and his face beautiful, with long, curled hair over his shoulders. Cleo didn't fail to notice his slim waist and plump behind, and even flushed in embarrassment after realizing how much he spent his time staring at the tutor.

On top of that, Timothy had a bright mind and a kind heart. Little prince adored him immensely, and the teacher often stayed after lectures playing with the child.

Cleo's heart softened at the sound of their sweet laughter. Those two were most certainly the only good and innocent people in this palace.

A sudden entry shook Cleo out of his thoughts and he immediately bowed upon the realisation that it was the king that entered.

However, he shouldn't have worried, as the man only had eyes for the two and failed to notice him.

"Dad! Look what I drew!" Prince yelled excitedly, jumping to his feet and running to his father. The man lost his guarded expression in a second and smiled softly at his son.

"It's very nice. Did you have fun?"

"Yes! I had much fun with teacher today, we learned a lot!" Tobias said and jumped into his father's embrace.

"Is that so?" The king questioned and turned his playful eyes onto the tutor. Timothy returned his gaze, blushed and looked down. The king's eyes softened and he chuckled, softly caressing the child in his arms and the man in front of him with his other hand.

Green eyes looked up and leaned into the king's hand, sighing as he did so.

Cleo was gobsmacked.

After only a moment, he turned around and resumed cleaning with a small smile.

Really, what did he expect?